This is such an awesome non-profit. I've taken a couple of classes from them (locations can change)…read moreand I love the work they do for students and low income people. Everyone should check them out - such a Portland way to help others help themselves (plus tasty food).

The location is good - parking located directly across the street - quite spendy at $11.95 per day…read moreso be prepared. HR Certificate program needs help. Overview class was taught by someone who hasn't been in HR for over 20 years! Not weeks - YEARS folks. OK so getting past this, professionals are paying exorbitant fees for this certificate program only to waste over 2 hours (in an 8 hour class) chatting with our classmates, working on team projects and talking about how we handle various HR issues. I don't want to know how "Sally" does something, I want to hear from professionals (CURRENT in the field) how to handle the challenges and topics that HR covers. Extremely frustrating. If the instructors don't have enough material to fill the time slot, then dismiss the class early to work on the reading assignments.

From the owner: Portland State's Center for Executive and Professional Education (CEPE) is a leading provider of…read moreuniversity-level professional courses and certificate programs designed to increase leadership skills, deliver process management tools, and foster creative thinking. Professional development and training are as important as ever for the career changer, career builder, manager, and executive alike. Staying in the game means staying ahead of the curve.

I can only speak highly of Laura Martin and the mindfulness classes she leads. I took the…read moreMindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class a few years ago, and I am not exaggerating when I saw it is one of the best things I have ever done - for myself and for my family. I had always assumed that I just didn't get meditation/mindfulness, and it wouldn't work for me anyway. Laura is kind and patient, and when anyone expressed doubt that the practices we were doing would help, or that they were boring/annoying, Laura just asked us to get back to her at the end of the 8 weeks. Sure enough, by then I was seeing the benefits of the MBSR practices and classes. Laura is a very knowledgeable teacher, and always speaks (and listens) with compassion and kindness. Laura maintains communication with former students, and offers continuing support for our mindfulness practices. I highly recommend MBSR, Laura Martin, and River Rock Mindfulness to anyone looking for more balance in life.

From the owner: River Rock Mindfulness offers classes and individual training in mindfulness and meditation…read more Corporate and professional group trainings are also available. Laura Martin is a licensed clinical social worker with 20 years of experience in the field of mental health. She is also a dedicated practitioner of Zen Buddhism, and practices what she teaches. A cornerstone offering is the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class, an evidence-based 8-week class with 30 years of scientific research. River Rock Mindfulness also offers introductory classes on mindfulness, self-compassion, and other ways to make mindful awareness a way of life.

MeltonClassic core courses ( 60 hours if learning over a two year period) provide a fabulous…read moreopportunity to broaden your understanding of Judaism, to make new friends and become part of a community of learners. The MeltonSpotlight courses are 5 and 10 week sessions that provide deeper insight into specific topics. Faculty is outstanding and the teaching style is interactive and lively. Answers for the wandering Jew and their friends too........

From the owner: Jewish Education Adult Learning…read moreText Study

When I found out that our insurance was going to cover 70% of doula coverage, we knew we wanted to…read morefind our doula through Doula Love and that was how we met our amazing doula, Patty. I can write a whole essay about how grateful I am for Patty and maybe it's the hormones but reflecting to the day I gave birth to my son and the support I received from Patty makes me want to cry. On the day of my induction, Patty was with another client who was also going through an induction as well (this is a super rare case). Even though I know she was 100% present with her other client, she constantly checked in with me and reminded me I can reach out to her at any point during my induction process if I have questions or need support. She also set up a backup doula for "just in case" if I needed it. I was already laboring for 14 hours when Patty arrived, and she brought so much energy to the room and got me up and moving so I can dilate more. Patty was super supportive of my plans to do a natural birth but when I told her I was too tired and really wanted to sleep, she was fully supportive of my decision to get the epidural. I had Patty in the room with me during the epidural process and she guided me through the whole process and kept me calm. Once I got the epidural, I was able to rest but the whole time, Patty would help position my body differently so I can continue to open. She was by my side the rest of the night as I contract so my husband can also rest. As labor progress, we were told my son's heart rate was dropping when I contract and the word "c-section" was mentioned since I was only at 6cm dilated. I never mentally prepared for this so of course I started to spiral but Patty advocated for me and requested to our OBGYN team to give me more time to see if I can dilate more. Patty continues to position me differently but, in the end, c-section was the only way to ensure my son's safety. We only had a short time from the time I said "yes" to C-Section to going into the OR and the whole time, Patty was next to me, reassuring me, reminding me that no matter what the outcome will be that I get to meet my son very soon. My husband and I are extremely grateful for Patty. We strongly believe our birth story wouldn't have been so positive if it wasn't for Patty's presence, support, and guidance.

We are beyond grateful for Doula Love's matching service and for pairing us with our incredible…read moredoula, Nomarie. We were a little on the fence about hiring a doula since this was our second baby, but we really wanted that holistic, nurturing care that a hospital alone can't always provide -- and Nomarie was exactly what we'd hoped for. I'm not what you'd call a "country granola" type of mom -- I went into this birth fully planning on (and very much wanting!) all the pain relief and medical support. But there's still such an important place for a doula in that environment. Nomarie helped bring warmth, connection, and a truly holistic touch to what could have otherwise felt like a very clinical experience. From the very first meeting, she made us feel comfortable, supported, and truly heard. She took the time to understand our hopes for the birth and was such a calming, confident presence every step of the way. When labor began, Nomarie was our angel -- grounding us through every contraction, guiding my partner on how to support me, and helping us navigate all the twists and turns that came our way. Even when things got complicated after our baby was born, she never left our side. Her steady reassurance and calm energy made us feel safe and less scared during a really overwhelming moment. Looking back, I honestly can't imagine our birth experience without her. She helped us feel empowered and cared for in one of the most intense and beautiful moments of our lives. I would recommend Doula Love and Nomarie a thousand times over -- they gave us the support we didn't even know we needed.

You get what you pay for. Bodhi Tree's adult languages classes are affordable and scheduled…read moreconveniently for working people. They are not university classes and don't pretend to be. They're not even high school classes. They're "community" classes which attract learners with a very wide variety of abilities, backgrounds, and motivations. The public assumption that being a native speaker of a language somehow qualifies a person to teach that language seems to rule here. Before a scheduled sojourn in a foreign land, I was delighted to find an available class in the language of that land, and cheerfully signed up. I did the homework and attended every session. My teacher was not a credentialed language instructor but this person was generally punctual, knowledgeable and sincere. The textbook was good. My overall disappointing results were not due to any lack of good will on the part of students or teacher. The issue was that because the instructors are not trained in how to handle mixed-level classes, my teacher wasted a great deal of time (my time) in trying to cater to those unprepared (didn't do the homework) or those who have no idea how to learn a language (most Americans). For example, one woman student, in her thirties, leapt up from her seat at least three times during every class to answer voice calls, and texted constantly throughout. Having missed the instruction, she would ask the teacher to repeat the point, which he politely did. Another older man apparently had never studied a language before (perhaps had never studied anything before). He filled the class hour with random questions about basic grammar (what is a noun? what do you mean, noun?) history, and politics -- all of which the teacher politely answered, sometimes at length. Due to the teacher's lack of training in mixed-level classroom management, the pace of instruction was extremely slow and disorderly. In eight weeks I learned very little. I would not go back. Still, with so much variation among individual teachers and the possibility of a better mix of adult students, your mileage may vary. Bodhi tree is the only place in Portland to get formal instruction in Mongolian, for example -- and it's affordable. By all means give it a try, but I'd recommend to keep expectations low.

I actually only had the opportunity to take one class at this center because after someone dropping…read moreout, the class size was too small to continue. I was deeply disappointed, but I thought I would still share my experience. The only thing that really bothered me was how warm the room was. Maybe I just have a high tolerance for things, but I wasn't put off by anything. I was there to learn Cantonese Level 1. The instructor was very kind and friendly, and I hate that I forgot her name. If you're going in there expecting to be taught, then go somewhere else. This is a place to talk about the language, go through dialogue, and familiarize yourself with the way it sounds and how to speak it. But there weren't drills, memorizing or starting with the basics like tones. And that was fine for me because my memory is excellent and I can clearly remember how the instructor says it and I can repeat it. I'm thinking about doing one-on-one tutoring there, but the distance is a little out of my way. These are community classes and I had a good time.

This is a great test center. Well organized, clear procedure of what to do, there is an area to…read morestudy with couches, big parking lot and kind staff. Highly recommend

From the owner: Explore all of the hundreds of exciting continuing education classes designed to meet your…read morepersonal and professional goals. Clark College Economic & Community Development offers cooking classes, art classes, music classes, job training, leadership training, professional development and personal enrichment classes. All Clark College Economic & Community Development classes are conveniently offered in downtown Vancouver, at Clark College's main campus or at Columbia Tech Center in east Vancouver, Washington.